Belt-hook lacing



Dec. 27, 1927.

v. T'OBOLLA BELT HOOK LACING Filed Feb. 17, 1927 INVENTOR.

' ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 27, 1927.

.UNITED STATES l,h53,7tll

VICTOR TOBOLLA, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

BELT-HOOK LAGING.

Application fiIed February 17, 1927. Serial No. 169,092.

tions for splicing and joining the belt ends together for the purpose ofmaking a continuous belt section. y

Another object is to produce a belt hook lacing, comprising a series ofwire belt hooks assembled in a permanent form, capable of being used forjoining belt ends without the requirement of a special belt hookmachine, as is ordinarily required with the various types of wire belthooks now on the market.

A further object is to produce belt hook lacing, comprising a series ofwire belt hooks assembled in a rigid metal frame and in such a mannerthat the frame becomes apart of the lacing section itself and remainsrigidly and fixedly attached to all of the lacing hooks. 1

A still further object is to produce a belt hook lacing in sectionsformed of series of steel wire belt hooks combined by rigid bar members,fixedly attached to each arm of the wire hooks and which remains thereonas a permanent member for the purpose of producing a lacing hook,capable of being inserte-d without the aid of a machine for the purposeof holding each wire hook section in a rigid fixed position at alltimes.

These several objects are attained in the preferred form by theconstruction and arrangement of parts, more fully hereinafter set forth.

Similar parts on all drawings are marked by similar numerals.

Fig. 1, is a side view of an assembled section of the wire hook lacing,showing the relative position of the hooks and the attached lacing bars.

Fig. 2, is an end view of the assembled section shown in Fig. 1, showingthe form of lacing book used therein, and the relative position of thelacing bars attached thereto.

Fig. 3, is a top view of thesection shown in Fig. 1. which illustratesthe alternate placing of the long and short arms of the hook.

Fig. 4. is an enlarged detail taken on line -fl of Fig. 1, showing asection of the lacing bar as formed for attaching to the wire hooksections.

Fig. 5, is also an enlarged detail section taken r el of l. and showsthe means of attaching the lacing bar to the wire hooks.

Fig. 6, is an end view of the lacing bar as shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7, is an illustration, showing my belt hook lacing as applied tothe ends of a belt by joining the two ends together.

Fig. 8, is a side view of the belt connection as shown in Fig. 7 andshows the relative position of the lacing sections thereon.

I will now describe more fully the detail construction of my device.referring to the drawings and the marks thereon.

It is known that several types of wire belt hooks prepared for lacingbelts are now manufactured and are on the market, but in each of thesecases the lacings comprise a series of loosely mounted hooks only andare applicable only through the use of special belt hook machines, whilemy invention comprises a further improvement and is adapted forapplication either with or without the use of a belt hook machine.

In assembling my belt lacing I use a standard form of belt hook -1- madeof a line steel wire formed into a V-shaped member. preferably shapedwith acurved apex and having both ends sharpened to a point and bentinwardly forming short sharp end hooks -2- at the end of each of thearms a and It is desired and found to be the general practice in makingwire belt hooks to form the same having one arn'i shorter than the otherand for positioning the hook points 2- so as to enter the belt materialin which they are inserted at different places, thus avoidingunnecessary injury to the beltmaterial and providing two points ofcontact therein instead of one, which greatly increases the resistancyof the belt to the belt hook load. These wire belthooks 1 are thenplaced in series by alternately placing a long and short hook arm oneach side of the series which accomplish the alternate punching of thebelt material when the hooks are inserted therein, the series of wirepoints being arranged as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3. The wirehooks -lare positioned parallel with each other and placed within theseries, havingthe curved end -c positioned in a straight line and thearms of all of the hooks positioned in the same planes forining a V-shaoed section member the wire sections are preferably s aces. saf

ficient distance apart for alternating inserting hook sectionstherebetween and intervening two lacing sections together. Fixedlyattached to the under side of each of the arms o and Z)- is a metallacing bar -3 which extends the entire length'of the series of wirelacing hooks 1-, and is fixedly attached to each arm of the hooks. Thelacing bar S.- is preferably made of a semi-circular Wire section bentand formed with the flat surface thereof to it and engage a portion ofthe wire hook sections and formed in a series of U-shaped sections i forpartly engaging the wire of the hook -1 therein. The U-sections iareformed of a depth slightly more than the diameter of the Wire hook--l-., and are pressed and shaped with the prongs projecting therefrom,and in a. manner which when placed Within the ma chine die may bepressed and bent over the Wire hook -1--, fixedly attaching the lacingbar to each wire hook section and rigidly holding the hook sections in afixed position, all alternately arranged and parallel to each other. Thelacing be 1' -3 is of a design capable of being formed and shaped in theU-sections by die operations and the arselnbling of the lacing clip iscompleted by placing the hooks in a frame and clamping the lacing memberthereon, by the operation of a closing die and bending the prongs 5-over the Wire.

, It will be noted that in the finished clip the lacing bar 3 ispositioned slightly below the outer surface of the Wire hooks andretains a smooth outer surface as usually placed with the ordinary belthook sections. By the application of a lacing bar -3 to each of the armso. and 6- of the Wire hook 1-, each hook is held in a rigid fixedposition, which enables the section to be easily placed within a beltlacing machine for clamping and engaging the ends of the belt members,or, by the rigid construction the section may be inserted Within thebelt by the use and application of an anvil and hammer, and the hooksections may be inserted effectively and accurately, even Withoutthc'nse of special beltclamping machinery. The lacing bar -3- ispositioned along the arms -.-aand -6- of the hook, at a distance fromthe end boots -2-- to allow the bars 3- to come adjacent to the end ofthe belt section 7-, when attached thereto, and at a suiiicient distancefrom the curved apex c of the hook to avoid interference with theends-of the alternate series of sect-ions when two sections areassembled together.

In applying my invention to a belt section -A is positioned over the endof the belt section -7- and the hook points -2- engaging either side ofthe belt placed thereon to position the lacing bar -3 adjacent to theend of the belt section and all hooks sections closed and clampingthereoi'i. fore ing the points 2- into the belt .niatcrial as isillustrated in Fig. 8 and forming a series of fixedly attached Wire belthooks projecting frointhc end of the belt section, having an openingtherethroue'h at the curved end of the book. A. similar section 13- isattachedto the opposite end of the belt --7 and placed thereon toposition the Wire hooks to alternately engage the space between thehooks in section --A-- capable of inserting the curred ends of onesection Within theother a sui'licient distance for inserting a lockingpin-8- therein as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, thus providing a rigidstrongconstruction for splicing the belt.

lVhile the general arrangement and position of the individual belt hooks'1- and the means for connecting the two sections together by theinsertion of a locking pin is admittedly old and known to the art, itsapplication and use in my device as one of the elements of myconstruction and combination is deemed to be new and to which I layclaim to the combination. llIy invention resides in the ccnnbination asa Whole, comprising a permanent rigid lacing section, capable of holdingall hooks permanently in a lined rig-i d position when applied to thebelt.

By the use of the old form of separated belt hooks WllGIelllE belt isapplied over steel pulleys the hooks become badly "Worn at the hook endand often break, rendering the hook unoperative because of its scpa atedattachment, while by the application of the special lacing bar to thehook men'lhcrs, as shown in my dcrice, the lacing bar is fixedly andsecurely attached to cachhook, producing a lacing section which willlast much longer and operate more cilicicntly than the separated belthooks now connnonly in use and which require setting by special1nacl1incry. In case any book in my section should be Worn and broken atthe hook end the hook is still operatirc and clfectivo in resisting thestrain of the belt because of its pen manent attachment to the crosslacing. Further, it will be noted that the old separated belt hooks whenapplied to old belts, which become spongy and soft when used onmachinery, subject to grease and oil, and that the hooks become looseand maybe nnoperativc because of the resistance of each book as applied,is independent of the other books. While in my special lacing sectionall hooks are held rigidly in a Fixed position in the hell. Where thebelt is soft and spongy, or of any soft material and any book that isinserted Within a soft spot in the belt and is n'il'liout beltresistance, its proportionate load readily distributed among the otherhooks through the connecting lacing bar. This is also the case when myassembled section is improperly applied to the belt ends as may be thecase when attached at an angle with the belt instead of properlyconnected thereto in a square position and the resistance to theimproper connection by its cornerwise attachment would be equallydistributed among all of the hooks, while in the case of the old type oflacing each hook being separated the whole eccentric load caused by theimproper lacing would fall'first upon one hook and which would carry theexcessload until failure in either hook or belt supports, placing thesame on the next adjacent hook, resulting in an unefi ective result ifnot wholly a destructive application.

Having fully described my lacing hook, what I claim as my invention anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

1. A belt hook lacing adapted for splicing flexible belt sectionstogether, comprising several wire belt hooks placed in parallel seriesand arranged with an intervening space between each hook wire, a metallacing bar formed with a corrugated surface positioned within the seriesof hooks, along the inside of the hook arms and fixedly attached theretoin a manner to engage one hook wire within each corrugation and saidmetal lacing bar fixedly attached to all of the hook members for holdingthem in a fixed rigid section.

2. A belt hook lacing adapted for splicing flexible beltsectionstogether, comprising a number of U-shaped standard wire belthooks placed in a parallel series with each other and arranged with anintervening space between each of the wire hooks at least equal to thediameter of the belt hook wire, a metal lacing bar positioned along theunder side of the wire hook arms, said lacing bar formed with deepcorrugations therein positioned and arranged to engage a belt hook wirewithin each corrugation, and said corrugated lacing bar fixedly attachedto all of the belt hooks -for holding them in rigid section, capable ofbeing injected within a belt end as a splicing member and operating asarigid lacing sect-ion.

3. A belt hook lacing adapted for spliciing flexible belt sections,comprising a series of U-shaped standard wire belt hooks all arranged ina straight line and parallel with each other and positioned to providean intervening space between each of the hook wires suilicient forinserting and interweaving an alternate section series of wire belthooks therebetween, a corrugated metallac- .ing bar positioned along theunder side of each arm of the series of belt hooks, said lacing barhaving each corrugation positioned to engage an arm of one of the wirebelt books, the corrugations being of a size and depth to nearly inclosethe belt hook in, said hooks arranged parallel with eachother andpositioned with a spacebetween the hooks suil'icient to insert analternate section series of wire belt hooks therebetween, a corrugatedmetal wire lacing bar placed along the under side of each of the seriesof arms of the wire belt hooks each corrugation oi the. lacing barpositioned to engage an arm of one of the wire hooks and nearlyinclosing the wire in a manner for fixedly attaching thereto, said metallacing bar being attached to all of the wire belt hooks for holding themstraight in line and in a rigid section, capable of being clamped intothe end of a flexible belt as a loop splicing mem ber therefor.

5. In a belt hook lacing of the class described, a series of belt hooksarranged in spaced parallel relation and means for rigidly uniting saidseries of hooks comprising a lacing member formed with a plurality ofspaced depressions engageable respectively with said hooks, said lacingmember being secured in place by deforming the portions thereof betweensaid depressions into embracing engagement with said hooks. V

6. In a belt hook lacing of the class decribed, a series of. belt hooksarranged in spaced parallel relation and means for rigidly uniting saidseries of hooks comprising a lacing member formed with a plurality ofspaced loops engageable respectively with one arm of each of said hooks,the portions of said lacing bar between said loops being upset to causesaid loops to rigidly embracingly engage said hook arms.

7. In a belt hook lacing of the class de scribed, a plurality of belthooks arranged in spaced parallel series and means for rigidlyconnecting said hooks comprising a lacing member formed with a pluralityof depressions connected. by oppositely extending loops, said series ofhooks engaging respec tively said depressions and secured'therein bydeforming said loops into rigid en1bracing engagement with said hooks.

In witness whereof, I sign these specifications.

Detroit, Mich. February 7, 192".

VICTOR TOBOLLA.

